


Indemnity

by raendown



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 09:26:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12932349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raendown/pseuds/raendown
Summary: For the damage done, an apology is owed. It takes about six months.





	Indemnity

He could feel the eyes on him even from across the room, not surprising considering how skilled of a sensor he was. A part of him, the part well buried that he had lots of practice ignoring, reveled in having the attention of that gaze even for a second every time it touched him. Yet the rest of him was filled with nothing but annoyance. What the hell could Madara possibly want now? 

Refusing to check over his shoulder, Tobirama shifted his weight and crossed his arms as he continued to listen with only half an ear to the man blabbering on in front of him. In his own mind he had already made a strong decision on the issue that the council member was talking about but experience told him that if he interrupted he would only have to listen longer to all the grumpy complaints. So instead he kept his breathing even and pretended to listen while his mind wandered instead to the other side of the room. 

It had been nearly six months since he and Madara parted ways in an explosive fight that decimated two training grounds and nearly brought down the walls of the older man’s home. Since that day their conversations had been short, clipped, and only ever about work related topics. Whatever it was Madara was staring at him for couldn’t be anything good, no matter what that stupidly hopeful corner of his heart might wish for. 

Almost an hour later he was finally free of the councilman and managed to slip out of the meeting without drawing attention to himself, unable to stand the staring for even a moment longer. There had once been a time when a gaze like that would have had him escaping meetings for a different reason, although Tobirama hadn’t engaged in those sorts of activities since the two of them had broken off their relationship. He’d tried once or twice, going on dates at the behest of his cousin. None of them had made it past the first dinner; they weren’t Madara and the very thought of someone else’s hands on his body still sent shivers of revulsion across his skin. Tobirama knew who he wanted even as he knew how fruitless that wanting was now. 

Exasperation and anger filled him in equal measure when he felt Madara’s chakra following him down through the tower and along the twisting corridors of the underground archives. Could the man not give him just a moment’s peace? 

He made sure it was only anger showing on his face when Madara caught up to him and not the incredibly distracting and unwanted relief that filled him every time they stood this close. Strangely, Madara didn’t look angry in the slightest as he stepped in to the room and quietly closed the door behind himself. His expression was worried, hesitant, and that was very unlike him. 

“Can it wait?” Tobirama snarled, immediately on the defensive. Madara blinked at him slowly as though processing his words with care. 

“No,” he finally answered. “It’s already waited long enough.” 

“Well spit it out then. Listening to those old windbags always gives me a headache; I came down here for a little peace and you’re sort of ruining that.” 

To his surprise, Madara appeared to wince ever so slightly. “I know. You always come down here after a meeting because it’s quiet. I remember that.” 

Frowning deeper hid the way Tobirama’s heart skipped a beat inside his chest. Hearing Madara openly allude to the time they had shared together sent a thrill through him that he both cherished and hated. Crossing his arms again, he turned his head away and observed the other from the corner of his eye.

“So?” he prompted impatiently. 

“I’m sorry.” Whatever he’d been expecting, that wasn’t it. Tobirama turned back to stare in shock as Madara took a deep breath and continued. “You always said that I was too proud to apologize and you were right. I was. Maybe if I had been able to put my pride down for just two god damned seconds then...maybe I might not have lost you.”

“Are you...?” So many questions flashed through his mind at once that Tobirama was unable to articulate any of them, leaving him gaping stupidly with astonishment. The other man looked down at the floor, then back up at him with a shamed expression. 

“It shouldn’t have taken me this long and I know it probably doesn’t change anything but I owed you an apology. For being the one to start that fight, for being wrong, for pushing you too far - for a lot of things.” Madara swallowed and bit his lip. “Tobirama...I’d take it all back just to have you. I miss what we had. Words cannot express how sorry I am for the things I said to you, though I know that doesn’t make it better.”

Wondering if he might be dreaming somehow, Tobirama blinked rapidly and tried hard to process what was happening. Never in a hundred years would he ever have expected Madara to apologize and  _never_  would he have thought the man would still feel the same way he did. It was almost too good to be true. 

Feeling slightly dazed, he cleared his throat and tried to speak around the lump that had appeared the moment Madara began his confessions. 

“You still love me,” he murmured, amazed. 

“I will always love you,” Madara admitted quietly. “That fight was ridiculous and I know it was me who blew things way out of proportion and  _I’m sorry_.” 

“Stop apologizing; it’s sounds weird coming from you.” 

“You-!” Looking up sharply, Madara snarled. “How many times did you tell me I needed to learn how to apologize when I was wrong? Now here I am trying to be the better man and you’re telling me to stop!?” 

“Oh just shut up,” Tobirama laughed.

Light-headed with relief and giddy from a rush of happiness he never could have predicted, Tobirama reached out and dragged Madara to him with a handful of those ridiculous purple robes. The older man made as though to snap at him again and then stopped, trailing off with a groan when their lips met in a heated kiss. 

Tobirama groaned with him, hand clenching tighter in his partner’s clothing while the other reached up to circle around his neck, holding tight. In perfect sync they tilted their heads for a better angle to deepen the kiss, nipping at each other’s lips and dragging their tongues together in that way that had always driven both of them wild. As cliché as it sounded even in his own head, Tobirama couldn’t help but think that this felt like coming home after being away for far too long. 

When they parted, they were both panting for breath with matching spots of pink on both of their cheeks. Madara only barely managed to choke back a whimper as he roughly pressed their forehead together. 

“Fucking asshole,” the Uchiha grumbled. “I was being  _nice_  for once.” 

Tobirama only hummed in response, eyes closed as he breathed deeply, wanting to drown in the musky scent of the man he had missed like a lost limb. 

“I missed you.” His eyes cracked open for those words, however. 

“I’ve missed you too,” Tobirama whispered. 

“Come home,” Madara implored him. 

As an answer, Tobirama kissed him again and unwound his right hand from purple cloth. Bringing it up to meet the other, he pressed both of his hands together in to a familiar seal behind Madara’s neck. 

The two of them disappeared from the archives with nary a sound.


End file.
